Anima Astricti
by Diamond Snowflake
Summary: Rukia is a Nympharum, a faerie of noble blood who uses seduction spells to get information about her enemy, the Venatores. Now, she is the one being hunted and she must learn to trust a boy with mysterious powers and what it means to be "bound by soul."
1. The New Mission

Pairing: Main one is Ichigo x Rukia, many others included

Warnings: Sexual Content, swearing, violence

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, they all belong to Tite Kubo.

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><p>The sounds of clothes rustling and mouths meeting in heated, breathless kisses disturbed the quiet lull of the city's night as two figures stumbled into an alleyway for some privacy, the large full moon casting a serene glow around them.<p>

One of them, a businessman, was on his way home from a tiring argument with his boss over him being fired. He had been caught slacking on the job numerous times and his boss had finally had enough and had told him to not bother returning to work.

He had been weary and depressed when he met his current partner. A small but alluring woman approached him on the street he was walking on, murmuring sweet promises of pleasure and passion into his ear as she tugged him away from public view.

She was rather short and a hat pulled low over her face made it difficult to see her facial features, earrings dangling from her ears. The hand that was on him had a flashy ring adorning the ring finger and a single silver bracelet surrounded her thin delicate wrist. As his gaze trailed up along her arm, he noted that a dark blue jacket protected her from the small chill in the air, opened far enough to show a low red top that barely covered her small but definitely real chest. A short ruffled white mini-skirt with a pair of knee-length, black high-heeled boots finished off her look.

Her clothes weren't skimpy like most of the clothes women in the city wore but they were definitely quite revealing. Her body wasn't the most curvaceous but from the patches of skin that were visible, he could tell that her skin was beautiful, smooth and pale and very inviting.

Assuming she was just some prostitute that was lucky enough to be able to afford accessories and nice clothes, he figured that since his life had gone to hell anyway, he might as well enjoy this enticing sinful offer.

Thus there they were, making out in a hidden alley next to a dumpster. Not the most romantic but it worked.

"You're really something else little girl" the man said as he groped his companion's breast through her thin shirt, exposed when he had unzipped her jacket earlier.

She let out a breathy laugh and then said in a sultry voice that went straight to his nether regions, "Once I'm done with you, you won't think I'm just a little girl."

The man was now feeling very lustful and he grabbed her chin, tilting it up so he could look at her face clearly for the first time since they met. He wanted to ingrain her image into his mind so that if he ever jacked off, he wouldn't have to imagine some faceless woman.

The minute his eyes met hers was his last biggest mistake.

As he stared into large amethyst pools, his body suddenly froze and his gaze was transfixed on the woman before him, his hormones raging more than usual and making the petite body seem like the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. A light giggle escaped her when she was sure he was under her spell.

_'Checkmate.'_

She asked sweetly, "Do you want me to keep my promise of pleasuring you?" The man nodded in a dazed manner so she said, "Then tell me everything that you know about a clan known as the Venatores."

That single word seemed to give him back some awareness as he managed to say in a strained tone, "I… d-don't know what you're talkin about."

Arching an elegant eyebrow, she ghosted her lips over his neck, her hands unbuttoning his shirt to reveal more skin. As she teased the spot where his neck and shoulder met, she murmured seductively against his skin, "Are you sure? Because I think you do know something but your rational mind won't let you."

She slowly licked and nibbled at his neck, eliciting a content sigh from him. She leaned upward and huskily whispered into his ear, "You're thinking too much, just let me take care of you and all you have to do is answer my questions."

The man's eyes became unfocused again as he let out a small groan of pleasure, causing her to smirk inwardly. She pressed her body against his, grinding her body against his growing erection.

When he tried to react, he dimly realized that he couldn't even move an inch and while his logical voice panicked, he couldn't bring the rest of himself to care.

Then what little rationality he had left fled when she looked at him from under hooded eyelids with a saucy smirk and purred, "Still don't know anything? That would be a shame then because I won't do anything else unless I get information. So?" A coquettish bat of long eyelashes, another thrust against him, and a sexy innocent tone.

"Please. Tell. Me?"

What little resistance the man had crumbled into nothing.

"I don't know much about them in all honesty but I do know that they're searching for something." When she ground her hips against him as further encouragement, he gasped out, "N-not sure why but they're looking for a teenager… something about him being able to do something important…"

He desperately tried to buck his hips to meet hers and when he found he still couldn't move, he added hurriedly, "That's all I know, I swear. The higher-ups are being really secretive about the whole thing and are conducting the search by t-themselves."

The woman furrowed her brow in doubt before sighing and pulling away much to the man's disappointment. The man wasn't lying and inwardly, she wondered '_Why are they looking for someone outside of the Nympharum Clan? Isn't their purpose to hunt and eliminate us? What are they planning…?'_

She blinked when the man made a distressed noise as he attempted to move. "Oh I'm sorry, I forgot about you." He turned to her with hopeful eyes but it was quickly replaced by a cold fear when he saw her face for the second time, aware that what he was seeing was not going to make him feel satisfied at all.

Gone was the playful lust and the childish sparkle in her eyes and instead, in it's place was a cool expression of indifference and just a hint of loathing.

"Thank you for reminding me that you're one of the underlings of the Venatores, this saves me the trouble of hunting one down tonight. Now then," a gleam of silver and the sound of a gun being loaded, "Please die."

A single shot was fired to the side of his head, muffled by a silencer and angled just so that it seemed as if he committed suicide. She let his body fall naturally before she placed the gun into his hand, easily wiping away any trace of herself with a quick blow of icy cold wind.

Satisfied with her handiwork, she stood up and tapped one of her rings. It glowed a bit before flashing a brief blue color: _all clear._

The ring was a heat sensor and if it flashed blue, then that meant her body heat was the only one present; a surprisingly handy gadget from a rather suspicious man who was a sort of ally to her clan although even that was pushing it. A man with his own agenda that helped them out if their needs coincided with his was a better way to put it.

She sighed before pressing a small button on her earring, another nifty device given to her for her mission. The sound of static buzzed in her ear and while she waited for it to clear up, she pulled a cell phone out and put it to her ear as she walked back out into the street.

Eventually, a deep voice crackled through, low enough for only her to be able to hear.

"This is Lieutenant Abarai Renji of the 6th Company of the NS, how can I be of assistance?"

A genuine smile graced her lips as she teased, "It's always so amusing to hear you sound so official Neji."

She heard him curse at the familiar alias as he grumbled, "Should have told me it was you before I made myself sound like a stiff. I swear one of these days, I'm gonna be at a job interview and when they ask for my name, that'll come spillin' out." That elicited a small laugh from her as she asked warmly, "So how are you doing Neji?"

They chatted briefly when she entered a busier area, exchanging pleasantries and admitting small fears one would expect a teenage girl to say when speaking to a friend as she walked by herself in the city at night. When she entered a more isolated place, she changed to a more business-like tone and said, "Alright, it's all clear. Listen, I found out something impo-"

"Hold your horses over there bronco; if you're giving me a report then ya gotta do it professionally. I know it sucks but if I have to do it, then you have to too."

She glared at her phone as though it was to blame before huffing, "Fine." Putting on a more formal tone, she announced, "Officer of the 13th Company of the NS and first daughter of the Kuchiki Noble Family, Kuchiki Rukia reporting in for duty. There is a new update regarding the movements of the enemy of our race, the Nympharum hunting demon race more commonly known as the Venadores."

A grunt of acknowledgment from the other end urged her to continue.

"It appears that they're looking for someone, a teenage boy whose detainment has become their priority for unknown reasons and only those who directly serve the leader are aware of his identity. From the grunt that I questioned, it became clear that their leader wants absolute secrecy which most likely means that their target will play a significant role in their future plans and thus may pose a hazardous threat to us."

Renji wasn't speaking to her but the sounds of him distantly talking signified that he was reporting what he had been told and was going to be given the next set of orders for her to do. A short while later, he talked to her again, "Alright then, your next mission is being sent to your location right now. Call again if you have any questions or need anything else."

She gave a sharp "Yes sir" before pressing the button on her earring again, turning the device off. She sighed a bit sadly as she briefly entertained memories of when she had been able to talk casually to her friend without so many formalities but quickly snapped back to reality when something flew in front of her face.

A butterfly with pure black wings and a body with a line going straight down it flapped its wings patiently, waiting for her to confirm her identity. She held her hand out and when it touched down, created another cold gust of energy sweep around it. The butterfly's antennas flashed a dull green before the body abruptly split in half, revealing a neatly rolled up peace of paper.

_'That never fails to disturb me...'_

Rukia grimaced a bit before pulling the small slip of paper out and unfolding it. She was not very surprised by what it said but it would have been nice if her next job had been just a bit easier.

_Find out who the target is and bring him in to headquarters for custody. If he resists, eliminate him._

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><p>AN: This i the first chapter of 1 of 3 stories that I am thinking of working on along with the ones I'm currently doing. I wanted to mix things up a bit and see if I could write a fic focusing on a hetero pairing and so I chose IchiRukia since they're both the easiest for me to keep mostly in character. If you want this to continue then please go to my poll and vote~ And check out the other choices too XD


	2. The Informant and the Prophetess

Rukia sighed as she approached her first destination- a shabby, suspicious-looking candy shop with a sign saying _Urahara Shoten _in big bold lettering. It was located in a large empty lot and was barren of any bushes or trees. Two children were out in front, sweeping the dusty ground, a young boy and girl who looked to be in their preteen years.

The boy had gravity-defying red hair and was speaking in a loud obnoxious voice while waving a broom threateningly at his co-worker. The girl was much more meek and quiet with purplish-black hair in two pigtails and a single bang dangling in front of her face, the end splitting into two separate directions. It swayed gently as she fervently but softly tried to placate the boy. Their childish banter paused however, when they noticed Rukia's presence. The two greetings that ensued couldn't have been more different in terms of politeness.

"Oh the Kuchiki princess, what're you doing here?"

"Hello Kuchiki-san."

Rukia glared at the red-head and snapped, "Jinta you brat, how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?" before she gave the girl a softer look and said, "Hello Ururu-chan, is Urahara-san in?"

Jinta scowled while Ururu nodded and replied shyly, "He's in the back with Yoruichi-san." Thanking her, Rukia hurried past the children and went towards the location of two of the most cryptic yet best informants she'd ever met.

Stepping into the shop, the sweet smell of candy invaded her senses due to the numerous shelves and stands of candy merchandise that were arranged in surprisingly neat rows. She idly considered getting some for the child-like lieutenant of the 11th company but decided against it; who knew if the candies in here were fresh or if they'd been sitting in here for years. Shuddering a bit at the thought, she quickly made her way to the back room available only to "special" customers.

When she arrived, she was met with the sight of two people sitting at a low table sipping tea in a large spacious room. One was a man with pale blond hair hidden beneath a striped hat and was wearing odd clothes that consisted of a green shirt and pants with a darker green haori over them. The other person was a gorgeous purple-haired woman with feline-like qualities dressed in a long sleeved orange shirt with black formfitting pants.

The man looked up and smiled a mysterious smile as he said, "Hello Kuchiki-san! We were wondering when you would come." She blinked in confusion and asked, "You already know about my next mission?" The smile just widened as he cheerfully replied, "Of course~ You're looking for whoever the Venatores are looking for correct?"

She decided against asking why they knew and just nodded as she sat down across from them. She then inquired, "Do you know who he is Urahara-san? And where I can find him for that matter?" The two older figures had that air of knowledge that they knew something but the way they were silent gave Rukia the sense that they weren't going to be very forthcoming about it. Her guess was confirmed when Urahara replied, "I do actually know who it is. But," she had an eager face that quickly vanished when he added the 'but,' "Due to certain circumstances, I can't tell you."

At her slightly irritated look, he added, "I _can _tell you where he is though. He is a 2nd-year high school student at Karakura High which is a few streets away from here." Storing away the only piece of helpful information she received, she snapped, "And how is that supposed to help me? How will I know who I'm looking for if I don't know what he looks like or even what his name is?"

Completely unaffected by her anger, he replied, "Trust me, you will know when you meet him and get to know him."

"My job isn't to become best friends with him, it's to make sure he doesn't become a threat to us,"

Patiently, he said, "I'm well aware that your duty is simply to capture him but I want you to see for yourself the kind of person that he is, it may change your perspective and alter your future plans." Before she could argue with him further, the other woman in the room spoke for the first time since the meeting.

"Kuchiki Rukia, noble daughter of the Kuchiki Clan and head spy of the Nympharum Society."

Said woman blinked. Shihoin Yoruichi never spoke the full name and title of a person unless… "Did Yoruichi-san see something?" she asked Urahara. The ever elusive man simply smiled before putting a finger to his lips as he gestured with his other hand to Yoruichi, indicating she should listen.

The cat-like woman's head was tilted down a little and her eyes were almost closed, hooded lids revealing the barest hint of gold as she began speaking in a strange tone that almost didn't sound human:

"_Star-crossed lovers and challengers of fate,_

_Initially bound by a bond of distrust and hate,_

_Will in time be tied by feelings that transcends love,_

_And create a power far greater than the gods above._

Her face slowly lifted and eerie glazed golden eyes met violet ones as she finished by saying:

_A power that can defeat the Venatores Clan and bring the fallen beings back to the light,_

_Or spell doom for the Nympharum race and drown all that is known in a never-ending night._

_Power that cannot be obtained by those who are not whole,_

_It is a sacred and perilous gift for those who are bound by soul.  
><em>

There was silence as the prophecy seemed to echo in the small room and Rukia felt goose bumps tingling on her skin. She and one other would have the power to either win the war or destroy everything? It was both an exhilarating and terrifying thought. The last bit was confusing though, how could someone exist if they weren't whole? Hundred of questions ran through her head but the strange, almost mystical atmosphere made it feel wrong to disturb the silence.

The surreal atmosphere was dispelled however, when an amused grin spread across Yoruichi's face as she said, "Star-crossed lovers and challengers of fate huh? Got an oxymoron right there." Her expression became more solemn as she warned, "Kuchiki, this means your love ain't gonna be easy and that fate itself will be against the two of ya bein' together. You're gonna go through a ton of hardships an' you're gonna need to overcome every single one if you don't want the second outcome to come true."

Rukia nodded gravely but inside she was confused. _'If this prophecy is legitimate, why would people not approve of my potential lover? Wouldn't it be Renji? Or maybe… Kaien-dono?'_

A light blush colored her cheeks as she remembered the handsome young man who had recently broken up with his girlfriend when it was discovered that she was being transferred to another branch of their organization in America . The couple had been sad but mutually agreed a long-distance relationship of an unknown length was unfair to both of them and had split up on friendly terms. Rukia had been sad that Miyako-san had to leave but a small, selfish part had been thrilled that her secret crush was now available.

Quickly getting rid of the arbitrary thoughts, she asked, "Is there anything else you can tell me?" The two looked at each other before Yoruichi replied, "Aside from advice like don't get yourself killed, no." Rukia sighed in capitulation before she bowed and said, "Thank you for your help Urahara-san, Yoruichi-san. I will have the payment forwarded to you later."

"That will not be necessary."

Her head shot up in bewilderment; Urahara Kisuke _never_ rejected payment, that was like an unspoken law. She started saying, "But-" Urahara waved a fan in the air to silence her before he explained, "The only payment we want is reports of everything you learn."

"But I can't-" Again, the fan was waved and cut off whatever she was going to say.

"I know it's against the rules but I want to know how the boy you're searching for has been doing." She paused in her protests and asked curiously, "You're close to him?" A sad smile appeared as he replied, "_Was_ close to him would be the correct terminology. But ever since eight years ago, he hasn't been close to anyone, not even to me and I've known him since he was born. And I can't just visit him whenever I want to either due to certain reasons."

Curiosity eating away at her, she really wanted to ask more but felt that if she pressed any further, he would avoid answering. So instead, she bowed once more and said, "Alright, I'll send reports to you once every week in exchange for everything that you've told me. Thank you again, both of you."

"You're welcome Kuchiki-san. And take care~" Urahara said, his usual omnipresent mysterious smile on his face once again. "If you need anything else or just want to see if we've learned anything new, hop by."

Since Yoruichi was also leaving, she slid to her feet gracefully and walked with Rukia to the door. Once they were at the entrance, she placed a hand on the younger woman's shoulder before giving a rare piece of advice in an even rarer serious tone.

"Kuchiki, listen. I know it's been drilled into your head that the only way to win is to obey orders but that's not always the case. Sometimes, you need to do something outrageously dangerous and probably illegal if you want to get something done."

Rukia gave her an incredulous look which made Yoruichi smile before the elder suddenly changed topics and stated softly, "There are three ways a war can end Kuchiki. One is you lose, plain and simple, but winning can be done in two ways. You can either defeat the enemy or win the war.

Tilting her head a bit, Rukia asked, "Aren't they the same thing?" Yoruichi shook her head and said, "No they're not." She chuckled at the utterly perplexed expression on Rukia's face as she said, "If you want to know, ask the boy you're looking for when you meet him, he should know the answer. His father was the one who told me and Kisuke the difference after all."

With that, Yoruichi moved away and her body glowed before shrinking and turning into a black cat. She turned and flicked her tail as a way of expressing goodbye before she pranced off, leaving Rukia deep in thought and mulling over what she had been told.

_'Defeating the enemy and winning the war, what's the difference?'_

She began making preparations for her entry into Karakura High via her communicator, requesting for false I.D. information and cards as well as figuring out a place to stay. Throughout all this, the back of her mind kept replaying the prophecy and it made less and less sense each time.

_'The power to win the war or send everything into oblivion… there's no way I and one other person could possibly have that kind of strength.'_

She looked up into the cloudy sky as if hoping there would be answers written there for her as one final question drifted through her mind, seeming to stand out among the others:

_'And what exactly does it mean to be bound by soul?'_

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><p>AN: Boy, that prophecy was a pain to come up. Who knew rhyming could be so hard XD Anyhoo, the plot thickens! Oh, and since my poll thing is at a tie right now, I'm just going to keep updating each story occasionally until it becomes a bit more clear which one people prefer.


	3. New Friends and Enemies

It was a partly cloudy morning the next day and the sun just barely peeked over puffy white clouds, casting a small golden light over Karakura High. Unbeknownst to everyone, today was the day when everything would start and the dangers began.

Inside the school, students were rushing to make it to their first classes having either woken up late or stayed out in the hallways too long chatting. Only a certain noble Nympharum glided her way slowly and gracefully through the building, creating an air of elegance and sophistication around her that made people pause to stare and whisper despite their rush.

"Holy cow that chick is gorgeous!"

"Was someone like that at our boring school?"

"She's gotta be rich. I mean look, she's wearing the top designer clothes."

"New student…?"

Her face remained neutral but inside, Rukia was just a bit irritated. _'This is why I hate humans. When they see something unusual, they completely overreact" _she thought with vexation. Shifting her bag over her shoulder into a more comfortable position, she finally stopped in front of Room 2C.

'_So this is my room… what are the odds that whoever I'm searching for is in here?' _Pausing before she let her hand knock on the door, her mind raced through a series of scenarios, resulting in her to decide,_ 'Might as well start a light dose of my seduction spell now so it'll be easier to get 'popular' and hopefully easier to get information.'_

Glancing around discreetly, she allowed a small glow to enshroud her body briefly before it faded away. While her appearance hadn't changed, there was now a subtle appeal in her that would draw people to her like moths to a flame. Satisfied, she knocked on the door and when it opened, it revealed a brunette woman with glasses wielding a piece of chalk almost like a weapon. Rukia wasn't quite sure how she was supposed to react so she just smiled charmingly and said, "Hello, um I'm the new transfer student! My room is 2C correct?"

Recognition flashed in the woman's eyes as she heartily exclaimed, "Oh you're the newbie! Sorry about that, almost forgot about it. Anyway it's a pain to do introductions so just call me Ochi-sensei! Come on in and I'll get you introduced to the class." Rukia briefly wondered why she had to be introduced if the teacher thought introductions were a pain but obediently followed after her.

As Ochi-sensei began the usual talk about how to treat new students, Rukia swept her eyes over the students, finding satisfaction when they all stared at her with awe and admiration. She then blinked when she realized that wasn't quite accurate.

'_On second thought, make that _most _of the students are looking at me with wonder.'_

Indeed, there was one student who wasn't even _looking_ at her much less getting affected by her spell. In fact, he seemed to find the field outside far more fascinating than her even though there wasn't a single human that should be immune to her spell even at its weakest level. _'Impossible…'_

She quickly regained composure when she heard Ochi-sensei ask her to say her name though thoughts about the strange person who was impervious to her allure still lingered in her mind. Plastering a sweet smile on her face, she did a small curtsy and chirped, "It's a pleasure to meet everyone! My name is Hane Rukia and I will be joining you starting today. I hope we all get along!" Guys melted at her smile while girls giggled about how cute she looked. Only that one guy continued to stare out the window, ignoring everything that was going on until a piece of chalk was thrown at his head courtesy of Ochi-sensei.

"Kurosaki! I know you and Ishida have become friends but that doesn't mean you can adopt his prissy holier-than-thou attitude! At least try to look interested in what's happening!" If students were alarmed by her violent actions or stupefied by her choice of words, they didn't show it. _'Humans are strange creatures indeed...'_

Rukia felt the name Ishida rang a bell in her mind but was distracted when the orange-haired boy who had been ignoring her finally looked in her direction. She had to say that she was impressed. Humans as good-looking as him were hard to find and she could admit that his looks were on par with those of the Nympharum race which was a pretty big feat considering they were famous for their beauty.

A perfectly angular face with a slim, pointed nose matched perfectly with beautiful, narrowed molten honey-chocolate eyes that met her large violet ones. His tanned skin and lithe body was covered by his clothes but there was no denying that there was an underlying strength in his body. The only thing that distinguished him from a Nympharum was the light dusting of freckles across his nose that was barely visible.

'_How is this possible? Even the human beauty pageants require make-up to acquire their looks. To have such natural beauty is unheard of for humans…'_

She didn't have much time to dwell on it since she was directed to take the seat one row away from the intriguing human. Taking a seat, she made a vow to speak to him and see if he really was unaffected by her spell which she highly doubted. No one, save for the thirteen heads of each company in the Nympharum Society, could withstand her power when she used it to its fullest.

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><p>It felt like time crawled agonizingly slowly before the bell rang, signaling the lunch break. Immediately, people swarmed Rukia and she was forced to deal with their petty questions with pre-planned lies, getting more annoyed when it seemed endless. When yet another person approached her, she was just about ready to bite their head off, at least, until the person spoke.<p>

"Hello Hane-san! You look a bit uncomfortable, would you like to sit with me and my friends over there?"

The person speaking was somehow scarily similar to the 10th company's lieutenant and yet drastically different. The flowing long orange hair and the rather large assets matched but whereas Matsumoto Rangiku was mischievous and occasionally crafty, this girl radiated innocence and honesty. Rukia felt she could learn to like her, especially if she was really as sweet as she sounded.

It was even better that where she was indicating was where the strange boy was so she graciously accepted the offer, managing to sound not too eager.

The bubbly girl led her to her spot and ushered her into a chair next to a boyish-looking male who seemed to be texting on his phone which she was almost positive was against the classroom rules but considering Ochi-sensei was also using her phone, she assumed it didn't matter.

The cheerful female's voice started talking again and she politely focused her attention on her. "Oh my goodness, I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Inoue Orihime." Indicating to people as she said their names, Orihime continued, "This is my best friend Arisawa Tatsuki-chan and the guy next to her is Yasutora Sado but we all call him Chado. The one between you and him is Mizuiro Kojima-kun. On your other side is Ishida Uryuu and-"

Her words were cut off when the brown haired boy next to Ishida suddenly leaped up and dramatically bowed while proclaiming, "The magnificent me is Asano Keigo and I have to say that you are the most beautiful woman I have laid eyes upon sweet lady! I shall declare my undying love for-"

"That's enough Keigo."

The smooth baritone effectively caught off whatever embarrassing comment was going to be spouted out of Keigo and sent a small tingle down Rukia's spine as she turned to see the orange-haired boy scowling heavily at the now whining Keigo.

"B-but I just wanted to confess my feelings~" he bawled dramatically. The other looked completely unfazed as he flatly said, "You declare your 'undying love' to just about any person with two legs and female body parts so don't give me that."

Tatsuki rolled her eyes and agreed, "He's right Keigo so shut up or I'll deck you." As he proceeded to cry about the cruelty of his friends, the scowling boy ran a hand through orange looks before fixing Rukia with an intense look and saying, "Name's Kurosaki Ichigo and I'm going to make it clear right now that I don't like you."

There was a slightly awkward silence before a sigh escaped Ishida's lips as he pushed his glasses up and said, "Blunt and lacking tact as always Kurosaki. You're going to hurt Inoue-san's feelings, she was the one who invited… Hane-san to join us for lunch." Rukia narrowed her eyes a bit at his pause before her name. Now she was sure she had heard the name Ishida somewhere before and that it was safe to assume that he knew her somehow too.

Orihime waved her hands and said, "Oh its okay! Kurosaki-kun just said he didn't like Hane-san, not that that's a nice thing either but um…" Tatsuki rolled her eyes affectionately and helped her friend out, "What Hime's trying to say is that Ichigo didn't say she couldn't stay. So Hane, its fine if you want to stay here and eat with us, just don't expect Ichigo to talk to you." Said person wasn't even bothering to look at her anymore, instead choosing to glare outside the window.

'_Asshole…'_

Rukia put on another smile and said pleasantly, "I don't mind but may I ask why you don't like me Kurosaki-san?" The profound eyes met hers again briefly and she idly wondered how someone who seemed to be so rude also seemed to be hiding a strange sort of kindness in those swirling brown depths.

Any thoughts of him being kind were wiped when he bluntly stated, "You piss me off" before nonchalantly returning to his lunch. He thought she pissed him off? Well it was clear that he had absolutely no idea how much he made her blood boil. While she sometimes felt angry at Renji when he did something stupid, never had she been so furious at a few simple casual words.

She forced herself to calm down and spent the rest of the break pointedly ignoring the rude brat and chattering with the others about rather pointless topics. There was no way he was the one she was looking for. She was already regretting getting assigned this mission.

After lunch, she sat through the rest of the classes fuming silently and continually imagining smacking the scowling asshole's face with a bat. She didn't notice another student far in the back, glancing back and forth between her and Ichigo with a fanged grin full of malicious intent.

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><p>When the last class was finally over, Rukia was very relieved and was out of the room in a flash, escaping any more questions. Breathing a sigh of relief, she slowed down when she approached the gates and began walking down the street until she heard Orihime call her name. Resisting the urge to pretend she didn't hear, she turned to face the kind girl and asked just a bit tersely, "Do you need something Inoue-san?"<p>

To her surprise, the other girl actually looked worried as she clasped Rukia's hands in her's and whispered in a serious tone, "Don't walk around alone at night." Blinking, Rukia assumed she was worried about the usual dangers girls faced like stalkers or kidnappers so she jokingly replied, "Don't worry about me Inoue-san, I may look weak but I know a bit of fighting."

Strangely enough, the concerned look didn't change and instead seemed to grow more serious. "Hane-san, I don't mean things like being careful of creepy people on the streets. I don't know why but Ishida-kun said you've somehow become a target of one of the most dangerous people at this school."

Lowering her voice even further, she said warningly, "Don't ever be caught alone by Grimmjow Jaggerjacques. There's no solid evidence but rumor has it that he has ties with some dangerous people and that he doesn't hesitate to kill people he sets his eyes on."

"Isn't that just some random rumor the gossip mill produced?" Orihime vehemently shook her head. "Hane-san, it isn't false. When he transferred in like you, he radiated such a predator-like feeling that scared even Tatsuki-chan." Fixing large doe gray eyes on the noble, she softly stated, "He's more frightening than any killer."

Rukia was about to dismiss the warning but alarm bells rang in her mind at the name and she instinctively knew that this person was as dangerous as the girl in front of her made him out to be and that she shouldn't recklessly confront him. She opened her mouth to reply when a shadow loomed over them and Orihime let out a frightened squeak. When Rukia turned to see, she understood why.

The person was tall and if he hadn't had the bloodthirsty grin then he would be devilishly handsome but as it was, he currently looked like a sociopath that had just found its next target. Blue hair matched malicious blue eyes and his clothes did absolutely nothing to hide his well-built and clearly powerful body. His aura just screamed predator and Rukia nearly went into a defensive position, sensing Orihime's small trembling behind her.

"Yo, you weren't sayin' anythin' bad about me were you princess?" Orihime's trembling increased as she stuttered out, "J-Jaggerjacques-san, what are you doing here? Your house isn't this way-" She flinched when his eyes narrowed and he snarled, "Are you tellin' _me_ what to do princess?" He stepped forward menacingly but paused when Rukia situated herself further in front of the gentle girl.

Rukia fixed her own glare on him and snapped, "Back off Jaggerjacques. Can't you see you're scaring her?" The frown on his face slipped into a dangerous smirk as he replied, "Fine, I'll stop pickin' on her but that means you're next pixy."

Rukia's small frame froze. Pixy was an insulting term to the Nympharum race created by the Venatores and she was suddenly unsure about this man. She couldn't tell if that was a jab at her height or if he actually knew about what she was.

Muscles in his arms rippled and she abruptly realized that he was about to attack. Screw it being dangerous at night, this crazy man was planning on attacking them in broad daylight!

She raised her arms and braced herself for the impact as a fist swung towards her with unbelievable speed and she was almost positive that she heard Orihime scream her name. Closing her eyes, she waited for an explosion of pain. When none came and it was suspiciously quiet, she opened her eyes and peeked between her arms only to lower them in shock.

Holding the fist of the deranged psycho in one hand was a certain orange-haired asshole whose ever present scowl seemed even heavier than before. Anger seemed to radiate from him and when he spoke, his tone had a subtle venomous tone. Yet despite this, Rukia still felt something strange flutter inside her when she heard his words.

"Grimmjow you bastard, how many times do I have to tell you? Don't you fucking _dare_ even come near any of my friends or I will kick your sorry ass."

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><p>AN: I'm having too much fun with these stories (^-^;;) This story will probably be slow in terms of how often it's updated but rest-assured I will avoid taking longer than about 2-3 weeks. Hope you enjoyed this chapter~


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